Welcome to the Great Canadian HVAC Faceoff

Hey there, fellow Canucks! It’s colder than a polar bear’s toenails out there, and we’re here to find out which HVAC system can keep your igloo toasty without turning your wallet into a snowbank. We’ve rounded up seven big-name brands—Lennox, Trane, Tempstar, Carrier, Daikin, Rheem, and York—for a side-by-side showdown. These are all 3-ton, single-stage, minimum-efficiency straight-cool ACs (think heat pumps but without the extra bits). Let’s see who melts the ice and who freezes up! Need parts? Check out OEM HVAC Parts Canada for all your HVAC needs.

Our Totally Not Biased Scoring System

We created the GreenWorks AC Score because, eh, we’re fancy like that. Each cool feature gets 10 points, efficiency over 15 SEER2 gets 20 points (below 15 gets zilch—sorry, eh!), and evap coils? They’re the drama queens of HVAC, so they range from 20 to 50 points. Let’s break down these brands and see who’s the true north strong and free!

Lennox ML17XC1 The Overachieving Beaver

Lennox is like that kid who brings maple syrup to every potluck—always a crowd-pleaser. With a SEER2 of 15.6 and 35,200 BTUs, it snagged 20 points for efficiency and 10 for high BTUs. Its Quantum coil and 10mm tubing earned 10 points each, plus 10 for noise under 74 dB (quiet as a snowy forest). The air handler’s coil scored 30/50, and features like a built-in filter rack and insulated distributor tubes added 10 points each. Total score? A whopping 290 points! Lennox is basically the Wayne Gretzky of HVAC.

Trane 4TTR4036 The Moose with a Big Coil

Trane’s like a moose—big, bold, and hard to stop. Its SEER2 is 14.3 (no points there, eh), but 34,200 BTUs got 10 points. The spine fin aluminum coil and 10mm tubing added 10 points each, plus 10 for a plastic bottom (no rust in our snowy winters!). The air handler’s massive four-row coil scored 30/50, with 10 points for accessibility and a slick blower housing design. Total: 220 points. Trane’s a solid pick for those -40°C nights.

Carrier 24SCA536 The Tim Hortons of HVAC

Carrier invented AC, so it’s like the Tim Hortons of HVAC—everywhere and reliable. SEER2 of 15.2 earned 20 points, and its 33,000 BTUs got 10. The black-coated aluminum coil and 9mm tubing added 10 points each, plus 10 for an exterior filter dryer (no swearing in the attic!). The air handler’s coil scored 30/50, and its compact cabinet fits any igloo closet (10 points). Total: 180 points. Carrier’s your double-double—dependable but not flashy.

Tempstar N4A5S36 Carriers Twin

Tempstar and Carrier are twins—same logo, same 15.5 SEER2 (20 points), same 33,000 BTUs (10 points). Tempstar’s copper coil missed aluminum points but got 10 for 10mm tubing and noise under 74 dB. The air handler’s coil scored 30/50, with 10 points for a built-in filter rack and compact design. Total: 170 points. It’s Carrier’s quieter sibling, eh?

Daikin DX4EA3610 The Loud Hockey Player

Daikin’s the hockey player of HVAC—big and loud. SEER2 of 14.3 (no points), 34,400 BTUs (10 points), and a copper coil missed aluminum points. It got 20 points for high/low pressure switches, 10 for a core sense diagnostic center, but lost noise points (over 74 dB). The air handler’s coil scored 20/50, with 10 points for accessibility. Total: 170 points. Daikin’s got potential but needs to chill.

Rheem RA14A36 The Middle of the Pack

Rheem (and its twin Ruud) is the middle-of-the-pack toque-wearer. SEER2 of 14.3 (no points), 34,200 BTUs (10 points), and a copper coil missed aluminum points. It earned 20 for pressure switches, 10 for noise under 74 dB, and 10 for a plastic bottom. The air handler’s coil scored 20/50, with 10 points for a compact cabinet. Total: 170 points. Rheem’s fine, but not winning any Stanley Cups.

York by Johnson Controls The Underdog

York’s the underdog with a microchannel coil—tricky to service in Canada’s deep freeze. SEER2 of 14.75 (no points), but 35,800 BTUs earned 10 points. It got 10 for a high pressure switch (no low), and the coil scored 20/50. The air handler has a small cabinet (10 points) and a 5-speed ECM motor (10 points). Total: 160 points. York needs to skate harder.

Final Faceoff Who Wins

Lennox takes gold with 290 points, followed by Trane (220), Carrier (180), Tempstar/Daikin/Rheem (170 each), and York (160). For parts to keep your HVAC humming, visit OEM HVAC Parts Canada. Stay warm, eh!